Jude Cook spent his career in the design and sign industry. He began his own sign business over 40 years ago, first in Iowa and then moved Cook & Company Signmakers to Tucson. Approximately nine years ago he started restoring historic neon signs in Tucson, which now totals twenty-three in the Tucson area, several in Casa Grande and one in Silver City, New Mexico. ​

Not only has Jude created and restored signs, he collected them too, both large and small. His collection reached critical mass. It filled the walls and the backyard of his sign business and took over parts of his home, so it was time to do something with all those signs, so he decided to share his collection with other sign lovers.